Sinn Fein Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin MLA speaking during a
meeting of the party's Ard Chomhairle in Dublin today has called
on the UUP to come clean on their strategy to stop the Assembly
elections going ahead on May 1st. He said that it was entirely
unhelpful, at a time when all attention should be focused on
ending the deadlock and re-instating the political institutions,
that there were those working behind the scenes determined to
undermine democracy and prevent elections taking place. Mr.
McLaughlin said:

``It is now three months since the power sharing government was
brought down by the British government and with every day that
passes the deepening political vacuum is having a dangerously
corrosive effect right across society. With all momentum being
sucked out of the process it is imperative that the political
institutions are re-established urgently. We need a clear
commitment from the British government that the Assembly
elections planned for the 1st of May will go ahead on time and as
planned. It would be very welcome to hear David Trimble today
supporting this call in the interests of the democratic process.''

In relation to the Electoral Office fiasco and disenfranchisement
of almost 200,000 people across the north Mr. McLaughlin said:

``Every day more and more people are coming forward who are not
currently eligible to vote, due to the deeply flawed process of
registration which has taken place. It is incredible that it was
Sinn Fein and not the Electoral Office who informed the public
that up to 200,000 people had been disenfranchised in this
process. Time is moving on and with less than eight weeks to
turn this situation around the Electoral Office need to urgently
put in place a strategy to rectify the situation. They need to
let those who have registered know that their vote is secure and
set in place a publicity and information campaign encouraging
those who have still to register to do so now.''